3-Day Merzouga Desert Adventure

​If you are thinking about doing the 3-day, 2-night express tour from Marrakech to Merzouga, think twice. The desert is a beautiful and spectacular place that you definitely have to go see, but definitely not this way. It is an excursion designed down to the millimeter for mass tourism where you spend most of your time on wheels and do not get to enjoy the experience. ​Positive points (the only things worth saving): ​Punctuality of the pickup: On the first day, the pickup at the agreed-upon point was punctual at 7:10 a.m. ​The buffet before the desert: The second day's lunch (with a pool option) was quite good, with a variety of tasty dishes and without excess spice. ​The 4x4 option: Being able to swap the camel ride for a 4x4 vehicle if you feel unwell or prefer to avoid the physical exertion. ​The harsh reality (what no one tells you so as not to offend): ​The blackmail of the return from the desert: As if the camel ride there wasn't painful enough, the next morning the return is the same (an hour and a half on camelback). If travelers are exhausted and prefer to avoid the pain by getting up even earlier, they are forced to pay a supplement of 10 € per person to return by 4x4. They take full advantage of people's exhaustion. ​Only 3 or 4 real hours in the desert (and almost without sleep): You arrive at the camp at 8:00 p.m. exhausted, have dinner at 8:30 p.m., they play drums for a while without much enthusiasm, and by 10:00 p.m. you are already in bed (in a tent where it is unbearably hot). If you return by camel, they wake you up at dawn to leave at 6:00 a.m., having slept barely 3 or 4 hours. You don't get to enjoy the surroundings at all. ​Mandatory guided tours and extra charges: Instead of asking if you want to take the tours, they take you off the minibus and put you directly into "guided tours" that they charge you for separately at the end. They are pointless walks in unbearable heat (even in March), purely commercial and designed to get you into shops to buy things. I did it the first day and paid; the second day I refused and preferred to wait 3 hours in a cafe while the rest returned exhausted after paying for something that was worthless. ​Endless hours in a car without proper air conditioning: You spend the entire day stuck in a minibus. The driver only turned on the air conditioning when the outside temperature exceeded 35 °C, which is unbearable and unacceptable by European standards. This caused me dizziness and terrible discomfort during almost the entire trip. ​Trap stops and inflated prices: They take you to pre-arranged places where the driver gets a commission: isolated stalls without decent facilities to sell you crafts, cafes where breakfast is just coffee and packaged pastries, or places where they charge you 3.50 € for an ice cream and 1.50 € for a bottle of water. ​Lamentable transit hotels: We paid extra for a private room with air conditioning in Dades and found ourselves in a hotel that looked like it was from 1900. Damp ceilings, a failing toilet, a broken shower curtain, a glued-together sink, and no air conditioning remote. The dinner, furthermore, consisted of three spoonfuls of cream soup and an inedible tagine. ​The camel ride is very hard: The 45-minute journey is painful. There were travelers in the group who arrived at the camp crying from back pain and unable to move their legs. ​Pressure for reviews: The 4x4 driver pressured us directly for the online rating, saying: "Just give me 5 stars; if you are going to give 4, it is better not to put anything." ​Devastating return (Day 3): It is 10 hours straight on the road to return to Marrakech, stopping only just enough to go to the bathroom (paid) and eat where they decide. ​Conclusion: This tour is not worth it. It is a crazy trip where you pay for an infamous, grueling car ride just to barely touch the desert for a few hours at night. If you want to get to know Merzouga and enjoy it as it deserves (at least 24 real hours there), do it another way: rent a private car or hire a trip adapted to your pace, but do not fall for this group excursion.

We had an absolutely amazing experience on our desert trip, and a huge part of that was thanks to our incredible guides, Rami and Fatima! From the very beginning, they were friendly, professional, welcoming, and made sure everyone felt comfortable and had a great time. They were excellent drivers and fantastic tour guides, and they really went above and beyond to make the entire experience special. They were knowledgeable, patient, fun, and attentive throughout the trip. Their positive energy and hospitality made the journey into the desert even more memorable. You can tell that Rami and Fatima genuinely care about the people they’re taking care of, and they made us feel like we were in great hands the entire time. If you’re booking a desert tour, I highly recommend requesting Rami and Fatima. They were truly the highlight of our experience and made the trip unforgettable! 🌵🐪☀️ Thank you, Rami and Fatima, for such an incredible journey!

This experience was a bucket list item for me and it did not disappoint our driver. Abdullah was so patient and kind to us throughout the long journey to the desert. It was magical. I cannot recommend it enough

I had a lot of fun on this tour. It was tiring, but completely worth it. The experience was well planned, the logistics were organized, and everything ran smoothly. Our guide was very polite, punctual, attentive, and helpful throughout the trip, and also shared interesting information about the places we visited and Moroccan culture. For me personally, I would have liked a clearer idea beforehand of approximately how much cash and extra spending money to bring, especially for the shops and stops along the way. I also would have preferred a little more flexibility with lunch choices instead of having similar meals each day. Overall, it was a very enjoyable and memorable experience, and I’m very glad I did it.

Our driver Saad was very good getting us to and from our destination safely, and our guide, Ahmed had us ready for anything we need, he was friendly and if you needed anything at all times he was there.